Ajay Bahl’s rare film on the MenToo movement in which you played a victim of a false sex offence case, is now 6?
It’s hard to believe Section 375 completes six years.
That film changed me, it made me dig deep into a very layered character and confront difficult truths about consent and power. Even today, people come up to me and say the film made them think, argue, even fight about right and wrong. That’s exactly what we wanted to do, start a conversation.
It is hard to believe the film actually got made?
I will always be grateful to producer Kumar Mangat and director Ajay Bahl and the team for trusting me with such a bold story. For me, Section 375 wasn’t just a role, it was a responsibility, and I’m proud it continues to stay relevant.
Do you feel the MenToo movement for smothered by the MeToo movement?
I do feel that the #MenToo conversation never got the space it deserved. The moment anyone spoke about false accusations or misuse of laws, it was seen as undermining the larger cause of women’s safety, which was never the intention. For me, #MenToo was never about discrediting genuine survivors of assault. It was about acknowledging that justice should be fair to everyone, regardless of gender. There are real victims on both sides, women who face harassment, and men whose lives are destroyed by false accusations. Section 375 tried to show exactly that, that the law can be misused, and that we must talk about both justice for survivors and safeguards for the innocent.
Where would you place Section 375 among your films?
If I had to place Section 375 in my career, I’d put it somewhere in the top, Rohan Khurana made me fearless, it taught me to embrace the grey and never shy away from uncomfortable stories.
Why are more such films not made?
Because we’re scared, scared of offending, scared of backlash, scared of losing box office numbers. Films like Section 375 are rare because they make people uncomfortable, and discomfort isn’t always good for business. But that’s exactly why such films matter. Cinema’s job, at its best, is to hold up a mirror and make us reflect. Good cinema should do more than just entertain; it should make us think. Section 375 proved that audiences are ready for uncomfortable truths, it’s the film industry that needs to catch up.